Out of Time
by Saint Danielle
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is lost. He has been lost for countless years, drifting in the void. After all this time, he finally wakes up back in the real world. Only to find it is nothing like he remembered. How much time has passed? And why is everyone looking at him funny?
1. Chapter 1: Lost

**Hi, guys! I haven't updated in quite some time. Sorry about that. Real life and all the problems that come with it. As for my other MHA stories, I am working on them, so they aren't cancelled. This was thrown together as a sign of me still being alive.**

 **Hopefully, you will enjoy.**

* * *

Where _am I?_

Eyes were dry and bleeding. Too many lights. Bright. Painful. Scorching. Lights. He couldn't see.

The noise. The cacophony. He heard screaming. His screams. Not his screams. His ears were bleeding, the noise booming and deafening him.

 _What's going on?_

He felt lost. His body felt numb and cold. His body was being pulled and tossed around throughout nothing. Bouncing off the unseen. Crashing into invisible. Lost. Disoriented. Weak. Numb. Hurting. Hurting. Hurting...

 _Help!_

He screamed. Yet his mouth remained shut. Did he scream? He was sure he did. But he didn;t hearm himself scream. Did anyone hear him? Was there anyone to hear him? Where was the 'here' even?

 _Calm down. You have to calm down._

Hundreds of thousands of faces races across his mind. His friends. His enemies. The people he knew. The people he had never seen before. All of them smiled. All of them screamed. Too many faces. Too many voices. Laughing. Screaming. Crying. Roaring. Begging for help. Cursing his name. Singing him praises.

 _This isn't real!_

But it was! Or was it not? Then was he real? What was he even?

 _Who am I?_

 ** _Hero._**

He rescued people. He fought the villains.

He failed the people. He lost to villains.

 ** _Symbol._**

He stood for ideals. He inspired people. He guarded them. He helped them.

He was a fraud. Dirty. Lying. Cheating. Two-faced fraud!

 ** _Friend._**

He would die for his friends.

He would let his friends die for him.

 ** _I AM-_**

Billions of things burst into his mind. Good things. Bad things. Countless names said by countless voices.

He felt his body move faster. Being pulled forward by forces unknown and uncontrollable. He felt his skin boil and burst into sparks. And it moved faster. And faster. And faster. His skin flailing and drying and falling off before burning to ash. His bones rattling and shattering. He muscles being torn apart and scattered all across the way. His body kept dying as he moved closer and closer to the end of the road.

There was a thunderous clap.

And then came silence.

 **XXX**

"Ugh... My head..."

His throat burned and his body felt sore and numb. Yet it felt more real. More real than whatever nightmare he woke up from. He opened his eyes, trying to get past the initial pain from the bright sunlight. As he managed to get up on his feet, he instantly scanned the area around himself. He was in some alley... Dirty, dusty and old. With heaps of rotting trash and stray animals for a company. Well, if the writings on the walls and some old boxes proved anything, at least, he was still in Japan.

Shakily, he walked over to some broken mirror and took a quick look at his reflection. There were minor cuts and bruises on his body, the top of his green suit blown off. Or burnt away if the scorch marks around the edges were any proof. Still, better to have damaged suit than some serious injury. With no threat to his imminent health, Izuku sat down to try and gather his thoughts.

He remembered the distress call from Mutsufasu City. A villain with the power to open portals. He was tearing the city apart. He and his team were sent to apprehend him. Hikari and Maname went on to rescue civilians. Kurojin and Ichirou went with him. The man was covered in some kind of black smoke. They fought. They were winning. And then... Then his friends died.

Wait, why did they die? They were alive. They were-

"Argh!" he doubled over in pain, the sudden pang of hurt running through his brain. "W-What was that?"

He felt his body grow tense as he kneeled on the ground. He was breaking into cold sweat, his heart pounding like it was ready to burst out of his chest. He tried to remember the rest. If he couldn't recall that night, then he could, at least, try and remember the rest of his past, right? He could remember his teammates. Their Quirks. Their hero names and the like.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember any of it. Where was he born? Who were his parents? When did he become a hero? All of it felt blurry... And whatever bits came up just felt wrong. As if they were pieces of another puzzle.

"Why can't I remember anything?" he roared in frustration, punching a hole in a nearby wall. He hissed in pain and drew his fist away. His hand was bleeding. "... Damn it."

So it wasn't just his memory that was messed up, his powers were affected too.

"Okay, calm down..."

He took a deep breath in and started thinking. He couldn't recall anything but vague memories and the last twenty-four hours before blacking out. His powers were seemingly weakened and he wasn't sure for how long. His communication devices were fried so he had no way to contact the others.

His stomach grumbled.

"And I haven't eaten in forever..."

He chuckled at his own joke, though it hardly lifted his spirits. Other than being alright physically, his situation was still pretty grim. It also didn't help that, for once in a very long time, he had no solid plan of action. With his current position, the best he could do was walk around and try to find some way to contact his teammates. It also would help to find out how many days had passed.

Walking with his torso bare would certainly attract all kinds of attention. Luckily, the nearby dumpster had quite the selection of dirty, stained shirts and T-shirts. After finally finding the more or less clean shirt and a jacket with a few holes in it, Izuku stepped out of the alley.

And froze.

"What the..."

There were people. But not the way he remembered people. As if he walked into some fantasy book, he saw people of all colors, shapes and forms. He saw a couple of students. One of them looked like a raccoon. Then a girl with violet ski and pink hair. All of them walked the street and chatted without care in the world. Then there was a weird man with some turbines sticking out of his forearms.

And so many more of the people like them. Animal heads and limbs. Pieces of machinery sticking out of human bodies. Some weird patterns and spots on the skin of some of the people. And yet, despite how bizarre and surreal it looked, nobody acted differently. Everyone treated it normally. Like it was your average day.

That... wasn't how he remembered things. He knew things were getting better between superhumans and powerless population but... It was nothing like that. Just recently, a small group of anti-mutates attacked the young superhumans and they had to stop the situation from escalating. Heck, he didn't even remember so many people having powers.

"E-Excuse me?" he tapped a man on his shoulder. A man with lizard scales on his neck and horns on his head. Hopefully, his surprise wasn't too obvious. "W-Where are we right now?"

The man looked at him confused and slightly worried. "We are in Mutsufasu City, Kanseki District."

"What?" No way... This was impossible. The last time he saw Mutsufasu, it was being torn apart by the villain they were after. But the man didn't sound insincere. What was going on?

"Heeeey," the man squinted at him. "You look familiar..."

What?

"Yeah, you look just like..." the man's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my God, you are-"

"Help!" a woman screamed. "He stole my purse! Stop him!"

A young man in a hoodie pushed past him. His body moved before he even processed the action. Probably because right now chasing after the purse-snatcher was the only thing that felt right. That felt familiar. He felt the power surge through his body as he dashed forward. With one mighty jump, he was in the air and descending towards the unfortunate thief.

The man stopped to look up at him. However, there was no fear or surprise in his posture or eyes. And though the thief looked startled, there was nothing that signaled Izuku he would surrender. In a blink of an eye, the man grew into a giant, easily reaching the size of a decent building. "Raaar!"

He barely dodged the giant fist. His powers were with him but he could feel them fluctuating. He didn't want to find out how much more vulnerable he became. Still, he was the only hero around right now. And he wouldn't leave the citizens unprotected. He felt much weaker. But his speed and agility seemed to be less affected by whatever did this to him.

He could work with it. But first he needed to gather the data.

"Hey, ugly!" he drew the giant's attention. "Is that the best you can do?"

The monster roared and threw another fist. He missed but still hit one of the buildings. He visible flinched upon impact even if he only dented the walls. So his skin was still as thin as a normal person's. He also was slow and was currently in the middle of the street, which severely affected his mobility. Taking this all in account, he saw only onhe way to end this quickly.

 _Get him riled up. Make him waste energy._

Like a rubber ball, he jumped and bounced around the monster. Keeping him busy and focused on him. The man waved and threw his arms around like a child throwing a tantrum. But Izuku was far too small and too fast for the giant. Like an annoying fly, the green-haired hero avoided any attack and circled around the giant's upper body.

All to stall him till the people were out of the danger zone. Once the streets under them were empty, Izuku smirked in satisfaction.

 _Attack his weakest points._

Though the man looked a lot like a shark, Izuku noted the similarities were only superficial. With that in mind, he propelled himself forward from the building wall. Like a bullet, he shot past his guard and delivered an uppercut to the giant's nose. His strength was far less than his top one but it still went a long way. The man was disoriented but not down.

 _Don't let up. Keep attacking._

Throat. Solar plexus. Neck. Knees. Izuku kept bouncing off all around the giant, not even giving him a second of rest. The point was to slowly wear his body down and make it collapse on its own. With his energy running thin, the villain could barely move let alone catch him.

 _Go for the kill!_

"Haaaah!" Finally, he threw himself forward, fist drawn and eyes sharp. With one swing, he knocked the man out, simultaneously cancelling his transformation. Just as they both landed, a couple of police officers showed up, handcuffs ready for use. "That was tough one. He is all yours, gentlemen."

He was about to leave when a group of people blocked his way. He tried to get past them but they seemed very unwilling to let him through. Still, he couldn't stay here for long. He had to get out and start forming a new plan.

With the words of apology, he tried to make his way through the crowd. But as he moved farther and farther, he couldn't help but hear the hushed bits between people. Their voices were full of suspicion. Their eyes showed pure disbelief.

"Oh my God, is that him?"

"No, that's impossible."

"... can't be him-"

"I though he was dead."

"Dude, he would be, like, a hundred years old."

Whatever relief he felt at the capture of a villain was being chipped away, pulling him back into the frantic and panicked state of mind he was at the start. He had to get out of here. All that noise. All this shock. He felt lost. He had to find somewhere to think. Just a few more steps and he would run. Just a bit more, and he would be free.

Someone blocked his path. A tall man, his body square with muscles, with hands as big as his own head. And, by the looks of it, this man wouldn't let him pass.

"Sorry, pal." he said. Two more people surrounded him. A young woman in purple spandex. And some guy with wooden helmet. "But I am afraid you are coming with us. Trust me, this is for your own good."

He was sincere. Or, at least, sounded like it. He heard people cheer from behind. And, judging by the difference in clothes, these three seemed to be heroes. He had no proof they were. For all he knew, one of them could have some brainwashing-related power and control the people behind.

"And what if I don't want to?" He was a man of logic. But when it came to certain decisions, you had much better luck trusting your gut. "Will you try and stop me?"

It was the woman in purple that answered first.

"We'll let you go." she said. Her partners seemed surprised by her words as well. "But trust me, you should come with us. You are lost, confused, and, obviously, scared. We can help you with that. We can explain everything to you. You are among friends, Midoriya."

Wait...

"How do you know my name?"

The woman's eyes widened and she cursed her slip. Her partners instantly took the fighting stances. He had to run. He couldn't trust them. They weren't telling him something. He needed to get away.

"Damn it, Mt. Lady!"

"After him!"

He jumped up into the sky. As high and far as his powers could carry him. This was crazy. What was he thinking? He was a stranger in an even stranger world. He couldn't trust anyone. He needed to get away from them. He needed to find his team. His friends. His family. He needed to-

"Aghh!"

He felt his body go numb. As if all the strength suddenly vanished, his limbs went limp and weak. As if someone cut off his wings mid-flight, his body took a dive towards the ground. Was that how he died? Because of his powers malfuctioning, he would end up a meat paste on the pavement? Heh... That sounded almost like mercy. Away from all the insanity and anxiety.

Down into the black of abyss.

 **XXX**

 _Midoriya Izuku was born in year 1990, Tokyo, to the family of Hisashi and Inko Midoriya. For the next eight years, he would live like the rest of the world population. A simple kid. A simple family. A simple life._

 _However, on November 23rd, 2005, he was among the first people in Japan who awakened their Quirks. Those were the early days of our society. The days when people with Quirks were hunted and disappeared without trace. Days when tensions between still powerless humans and enhances ones were at all-time high. Which is why, just like with many other first superhumans across the globe, the Midoriyas went into hiding._

 _Nine months later, the country would hear of the Midoriya name once again. This time, however, in a much more positive and inspiring light._

 _On August 15th, the serial killer then known as 'Tokyo Terror' escaped police custody and went on rampage throughout the city. Using his ability to cover his body with any material he touched, the man proved invincible to the regular weapons used by the police. With no hero system at that time, the police force could only stall and delay the inevitable tragedy._

 _And it would indeed become one if it were not for the arrival of Izuku Midoriya. Despite the lack of experience, the young man managed to defeat and capture the criminal with minimal amount of collateral damage and minor to medium injuries for the police officers. As if that wasn't enough to gain public approval, young Midoriya then volunteered to be taken in by the police alongside the criminal he apprehended._

 _While there were already those that proclaimed themselves "Superheroes", Izuku was the first one who refused to run away from the crime scene. When asked later why, the young man would say that he believed in the cooperation between people like him and those without powers. And that a small gesture like this was the perfect opportunity to show that he and many others were not a threat._

 _That sentiment that sent the waves throughout then outcast superpowered community. What seemed like a small move by a naive kid soon grew into movement of superhumans willingly turning themselves in to prove their innocence and readiness to work with the authorities. And while many of them remained vigilantes and hid away, the public embraced the few that did it._

 _In return, the Japanese government proceeded to contribute to establishing the bonds between people and the superhumans. Despite the protests and several violent alterations, these actions set the groundwork for the future of the Department of Superhuman Affairs and, by extension, the Heroics System which allowed the first superhumans to become the force of good and change the public perception of Quirks._

 _Among the first heroes, Izuku Midoriya - or Deku - stood out as the beacon for all of them. Though young and inexperienced, it was his idealistic view and strong will that put him up on the pedestal, setting him as an example for both heroes and citizens of the country. Compassionate and honest, he continued to work relentlessly to strengthen the young and then fragile hero system._

 _Unfortunately, he never survived to see the fruits of his labor._

 _At the age of twenty-five, he and the group of several other prominent heroes found themselves in the middle of the mass catastrophe orchestrated by the villain known as Lord Calamity. With the power over space, the man created several portals all across the Mutsufasu city. While the other heroes were busy saving citizens and mitigating the collateral damage, Midoriya and two more heroes of their team fought against the villain._

 _No footage survived until today and the only accounts on what happened came from those who happened to be near the battlefield. According to them, both men fought viciously, barely humans and more akin to wild animals. The villain used every single piece of debris and ruins around himself. Midoriya, however, used his Quirk trying to avoid attacks but was caught far more times than even he could shrug off. Their battle ended in the flash of bright light. While details remain blurry, the experts suggest that the villain used his power to create portals in a last-ditch attempt to take the heroes with himself._

 _Sadly, he succeeded._

 _The city was saved. But among the many casualties was none other than the society's top heroes. And while none of them survived, only Midoriya's body was never recovered._

 _The following weeks were the days of great despair and uncertainty for the country, many grieving over the loss of the shining beacons of heroes. In order to honor their memory, Mutsufasu City holds a yearly anniversary for the heroes we had lost. Thus, reminding us that the great city we are living today stands thanks to the sacrifice of brave young heroes._

 _And now, almost two centuries since his supposed death, we all were witnesses to the mysterious young man bearing striking resemblance to that of the late Izuku Midoriya. Who is he? An impostor aiming to cash in the fame? A fan inspired to take up the mantle? Or could he be Izuku Midoriya himself, back from the grave? For now, this remains unknown. But we will continue investigating and keep our audience updated on the development._

 _This was Mitsumi Yanagi of Power-9 Channel._

* * *

 **So yeah! Izuku went and beat Captain America's record in being lost in time! Why around two hundred years? Well, since, in canon, Izuku, is the ninth holder of One For All, and I believe, OFA was passed down generation to generation, and generations change every 25 years or so, that would be the amount of time that passed since the first Quirks.**

 **So what did you think? Liked it? Hopefully, you did.**

 **Leave your reviews since they are my fuel)**


	2. Chapter 2: In the World Unknown

**Hello, guys. Before, you go any further, I want to say that I am really thankful for all your reviews and support of this story. To all of you, thank you for the support for this story. It is really amazing how many of you liked it and reviewed the previous chapter. I sincerely hope this chapter didn't disappoint you.**

 **Special thanks go to Walk The Max Planck. You may know him for his contribution to Viridescent, the hottest story in MHA section. An awesome beta with great eyes that made sure this chapter arrived to you with the minimal amount of mistakes.**

 **Now, onto the story.**

* * *

 _"Among other news, the search for Izuku Midoriya continues. Approximately three week ago, a young vigilante successfully apprehended and handed over a villain. After fleeing the scene, he had been spotted a week later, engaged in a fight with Hound Dog. According to witnesses, the fight started after the failed attempt by the hero to-"_

"Ah, what a load of bull!" a customer groaned, in-between chewing his food. "How can those morons put it on TV?"

"You think that's not true?" his friend asked. "I mean, the guy looked a lot like him, you know?"

"So? Like we have shortage of green-haired guys running around," the man scoffed, pointing at his hair which changed from plain black to golden blonde. "See this? This doesn't make me All Might. Ah, they should be reporting real news instead of that garbage!"

As the duo started arguing on subject, Izuku forced himself to avert his gaze. He found himself staring quite a lot lately. At the people like these pair. At the screens where heroes were treated like pop idols and celebrities. At pretty much everything around him.

But among all those things, there was one that surprised him the most. Just how casual everyone was about the existence of superpowers. Nobody screamed at the sight of them. Nobody ran and begged for help. Nobody aimed a gun or lit the torches. It was just normal for them. Just another part of their regular lives.

If only he didn't feel so out of place.

For the past few weeks, he was constantly on edge. Everything looked abnormal. And every time he caught himself staring at something unknown, he felt like they were getting closer. Who they were, however, he had no idea. He just knew that the longer he stayed in the open, the easier he made it for them to catch him.

He pondered, at some point, just staying in one of the dirty alleys. A nice girl with a ponytail had given him a blanket, summoned from her own flesh. Sometimes he wished he could just hide in it away from all the madness around him.

Sadly, unlike his mind, his stomach was perfectly fine. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't settle for the garbage leftovers.

 _'Then again, food may be doing some good for me,'_ he thought, finishing the stack of pancakes with gusto. _'My_ _memories are coming back.'_

Well, not exactly like that. As much as he wished it was that simple, his past was still a major blur. Three weeks of hiding and he remembered it only in bits and pieces. His memories were diluted and fragmented but not irreparable.

It helped that, as much as he hated his face being displayed every hour or so on every news channel, the media gave small but helpful pieces of information about his past. His family. His career as a hero. It was slow but his memory seemed to be coming back.

Not that he ever stayed long enough to watch the entire program. If he stared at the screen for too long, someone would notice and then see the likeness between him and the picture on display.

"Hope you liked your food!" the waitress bubbled enthusiastically. Though somewhat spooked by her alien appearance, what with her pink skin and black eyes, the girl seemed very friendly despite his own ratty looks. "Please, come again!"

He smiled but made no promises. Small diners were good and all but it was only a matter of time before someone took a better look at him and figured out who he was. His clothes, picked up from the nearby dumpster, provided little comfort but helped him keep a low profile. As sad as it sounded, few people paid any mind to the homeless guy. Though, just to make sure, he had cut his hair a bit short and dyed it purplish black. It looked weird on him but better safe than sorry. After his fight with that hero, he had no doubt the heroes were on his tail.

 _'I thought my days of running away from authorities were over,"_ he chuckled. _"Then again, this time, the authorities are heroes."_

Which... kind of made things worse. Though his powers still malfunctioned, his skills alone would have been enough back then to hide from the police and any deviant-hunters on his tail. But that was when people like him had powers and skills, and their enemies had numbers and hatred. Right now, though, the authorities had both numbers and powers. Not a very safe bet for him.

He could hide well enough though. He already found a job and an apartment. Neither his boss nor landlord seemed like the type to spend time on news or ask any questions. It was convenient. The setup made it easier for him to wait it out.

If only he knew what he was waiting for.

The same treacherous question that had been haunting him for weeks now. He bought himself time. But what for? What was he stalling for? Why was he running? Where did he plan to go?

 _Do I even have anywhere to go?_

What a dumb question. He was in the future. Two whole centuries into the future. It looked so familiar yet felt like a different planet. People accepted and respected the existence of powers and heroes. The people of the most bizarre appearances walked around without any fear or shame.

It was the world he had dreamed of since he got his powers.

When the world was on the verge of breaking out into a war with itself, all that he wished for was a world exactly like this one. Peace between humans and superhumans. Freedom to be who you wanted to be. It was all here and now.

So why did he have this feeling gnawing at him?

He had the world he wanted so why couldn't he feel happy for the people living in it? Wasn't it great people weren't hunted down for their powers? Hadn't he wished for a time when kids could be kids even if they looked different? He should have felt happy. No, more than that, he should have been ecstatic!

Yet he gained no joy from it. The sight of people walking on the street free and calm didn't fill him with happiness. Neither did hearing people talk in awe about heroes and their work. Nothing helped the feeling in his chest.

Nothing could fill the void in his heart.

This age was beautiful. It was everything his friends and he fought for. Everything they stood for. But none of them were here to see it. None of them survived long enough to see their dream become a reality.

He shouldn't have seen it either.

It was not his age. Not his world. Not his people. For all intents and purposes, he was an outsider. A stranger in an unknown world. He shouldn't even exist in this time and place. And yet he did. Why though, he had no idea.

The world wasn't in crisis. Not one numerous heroes couldn't handle by themselves. The people didn't need his guidance since there were no more people calling for the death of superhumans. He knew it couldn't be a perfect world. There were criminals and supervillains. Corrupt officials and underground empires. That was a given. That was expected.

But this world had no special need for him.

He had no purpose in this world.

So why was he here?

 **T**

Izuku Midoriya was the guiding star of his generation.

He wasn't the strongest or the smartest, but many historians credited him as the man responsible for bringing people and heroes together.

Some said it was his natural leadership skills. Others said it was a well-calculated PR campaign. And some believed it was because of the kid's idealistic yet endearing outlook on things, and the readiness to go far and beyond to reach those ideals. At the end of the day, as far as the media was concerned, Midoriya Izuku was the Ideal Hero, loved by citizens and feared by criminals.

Aizawa didn't trust that guy one bit.

Having worked most of his career as an underground hero, Aizawa had developed a set of skills needed to survive the harsh and deadly world of villains. Among those skills, one of the most useful was spotting a liar. Not just catching a person in a lie, but also detecting when one wasn't one hundred per cent honest with him. Sometimes, it was the tone or a tremble in their voice. Sometimes, small gestures. But most often, it was the eyes.

And Izuku Midoriya had the eyes of a liar.

The modern media called their time _The Golden Age of Heroes_ , focusing on how their heroics set up the foundation for the future hero society. They loved to talk about how the heroes appeared out of nowhere, not asking for money or fame but just wishing to do the right thing. It was not a complete lie but rather half the truth. The beatiful if somewhat glorifed half.

Aizawa remembered the other half much better.

Social change, by its nature, wasn't something pretty. People lived by the laws and regulations they had created over the time. And whenever something threatens to change it, they feel agigated. That agitation becomes only worse once their fears and paranoia are reinforced. And, eventually, the change creates the conflict within the society. Which is exactly what happened when Quirk first appeared.

It all started with a baby in China. Just a simple golden glow had the entire country in bewilderment. Maybe, if it was just one kid for a while, there would be less tension. Maybe, after passing through some tests, the world would slowly grow more accustomed to the idea of superhumans. But what could happen and what actually happened were two different things.

By the end of the month, each country all across the globe had dozens of superhumans manifesting their superpowers. Many of which were far more dangerous than a simple bioluminescence.

To say that it made some people nervous was an understatement of the century.

The superhumans - or deviants, as the media called them - were afraid and lost. The Quirks were appearing out of nowhere. And, sadly, often with very destructive results. There was no pattern to it. No logic behind the development of superpowers. That only added further to the growing paranoia and fear throughout the global community. It wasn't too long before enough incidents piled up and somebody decided to take action.

Both normal people and deviants were afraid and confused. The former were afraid of the superhumans could do with their powers. The latter were scared of what would be done to them for having those powers.

After all, nobody ever heard of a Luminescent Baby from China after his power manifested.

"Those were very dark times," Aizawa finally said as he turned to the rest of the gathered heroes. "The kind of crisis that changes everyone. For better or worse."

"But how do you even know that's actually him and not some imposter?" Ingenium asked. "I mean, sure, not a lot of people go for the old heroes, but there are still those who could just be looking to benefit from the image. Plus, there are always shapeshifters as an option."

Nedzu took the opportunity to answer, pushing a few buttons on his pad. The screen displayed the scene on which Midoriya appeared several weeks prior.

"As you know, when they first became heroes, Midoriya and his group were required by the government to undergo full medical check-up. In order to help with the research into Quirks and understand the cause between them, they also provided their DNA samples," another tap on the screen and the display changed to that of DNA samples. "We compared them to the ones retrieved from the scene."

"And?"

"They matched," Aizawa sighed, not very happy with the results himself. It would be much easier if it was just some copycat. It created much less questions. "Whatever brought him here, this is the real Midoriya Izuku."

The room fell silent, digesting that piece of information. Up until now, the majority of them assumed he was just a crazy guy who looked like Midoriya. It was an assumption that made more sense and caused less trouble for everyone.

The time travel was not the ability they couldn't quite grasp. In fact, there were quite a lot of heroes and villains who had some time-related Quirk. But it was never at such scale that it could send anyone or anything so far ahead into the future. In theory, with all the unusual and bizarre Quirks, somewhere someone had to have the power to manipulate time at such extent.

But they had Quirks for two hundred years. And no one was ever recorded with such power.

"He needs to be contained-"

"- the potential behind such power-"

"A time anomaly like this-"

A single hand rose, drawing attention away from the discussion. If only because of how hude that hand was.

"Can we just slow down for a second here?" Fatgum asked, putting his food down with obvious annoyance. "Why are we talking about him like some loose cannon? I mean, the way media makes it sound, the guy must think we are on hunt after him. If we just talked to him, then he would probably come along."

"Didn't hound Dog try to explain the situation to him?" Ms. Joke asked.

"Doesn't he talk mostly in barks and growls though?"

"Good point."

"We don't have a concrete psychological portrait of Midoriya right now," Aizawa interrupted before the discussion went off track. "Right now he is confused and, most probably, on the edge. And that, without taking into account how the time travel might have affected his psyche. The fragile mental state he must be in would make any civilian dangerous. But his Quirk makes him twice bigger a threat."

Not to mention the fact that no records of its limits and weaknesses survived.

"The best course of action then is to track him down and incapacitate him without escalating things into conflict." Snipe concluded.

"Getting close to him will be tough though," Mic groaned. "From what I had read, the guy has heightened senses or something similar. Some thought it was some kind of psychic ability."

"Unlikely, Mr. Yamada," Nedzu noted. "Mr. Inui clearly managed to approach without alerting him. Still, I think we should request help of heroes with stealth-oriented Quirks. They would help us locate and follow him. After that, the heroes with immobilizing Quirks may capture him without any fight. We still need to remember that this young man is more scared and lost than dangerous."

Several people nodded or otherwise showed their agreement. It was the sentiment all of them, including Aizawa, could agree on. Being thrown two centuries into the future was the kind of fate very few could handle. As much as Aizawa distrusted the first hero, he genuinely hoped that kid kept his sanity.

For their collective sake.

 **T**

"Alright, break time, boys!"

Construction work wasn't the job Izuku ever thought much about before the powers appeared. Once his Quirk manifested and family was forced into hiding, working on a construction site was one of the most stable sources of income they relied on.

Mr. Uraraka reminded him a lot of the people that helped his family along the way. They knew what harboring a superhuman could do to them. What kind of danger they would attract. Despite this, they still took them in and treated them like people.

"So, Yamikumo, any family of your own?" Kuroda, one of the older workers here, asked in-between the bites of his sandwich. "Or maybe some girl you are courting?"

"No," he answered honestly. It has been two weeks since ehe started working here. He hoped he could do it quietly without getting involved with anyone. Unfortunately, Kuroda was exactly the kind of person who wouldn't let anyone stay outside the conversation. "What about you?"

"He is too busy playing around with the boss' daughter," the other worker rolled his eyes. "Seriously, man, little Ochaco is adorable but she is not a kid anymore."

"She still is a kid!" Kuroda got suddenly defensive. "Not to mention she is going to apply for Yuuei once she graduates from high school. The girl needs all the support she can get."

"Yuuei?"

The name sounded familiar somehow. Wait, didn't that Hound Dog guy bark something similar at him when they met?

"What is it?"

At that question, several men looked at him like he had grown a second head. Even the one who actually did have two heads on his shoulders.

"Are you sure you didn't drop something on your head, kid?" the same worker from before asked. "Yuuei is the country's top hero university. Anyone who wants to be a successful hero tries to get in it. Not that many do."

"Their tests are hardcore, man!" another one groaned in frustration. "My cousin used to study there but got kicked out during the very first semester. Hell, his entire class was expelled for not having enough potential!"

The man then went on to tell him all about the heroics system and schools. How, upon graduating high schools, around forty percent applied for the career in heroics. How the kids were mercilessly weeded out. How being a hero guaranteed you money, fame and influence.

 _Sounds more like a celebrity than a hero._

He couldn't help the thought as the man kept rambling about all the perks and benefits of being a popular hero. He knew very little about the modern system of heroics. On a deeper level, he understood that it had to be more complicated than just some glorified popularity contest.

Izuku only hoped he was right on that account.

"I heard All Might is going to take up the teaching position there once he retires this year." Kuroda looked to the side. All Might? That was the current top hero, right? "Sad to see the Symbol of Peace going down like that, but- Hey, what the- What are you doing up there?!"

They followed Kuroda's gaze. Up towards the very top of the skeleton of the building.

On the beam, there stood a person. Tall and skinny, dressed entirely in black clothes, the young man looked somewhere off into the distance. His skin looked pale and dry. His hair were unkempt and dirty. The most bizarre and disturbing thing about him were the numerous hands latched onto various parts of his body.

"Is he going to jump?"

"Somebody get the boss here!"

"Get down before we call the police!"

The young man turned his head in their direction. Slow and lazy as if unaware of the situation he was in. His red eyes, almost hidden behind another severed hand, were vacant and unfocused almost as if he were asleep.

 _Something is wrong._

The man's gaze wandered from one person to another. Just as his posture, his gaze shifted in a relaxed and almost dismissive manner. And yet, at the same time, everyone under that gaze felt like ants under magnifying glass.

The bloody red met the emerald green. The man's lips stretch into a wide creepy smile. He heard his hoarse whisper, _"Found you."_

The man came for him.

"Everyone, get-"

The screech of metal and cement cut him off. They stood in shock at the sight of their entire structure falling apart right under the man's feet. The momentary shock would cost them their lives if they didn't move now.

He cursed under his breath as he willed his body to move. It wasn't the fear or shock that held him back but rather his powers falling short. Still, he had enough to grab as many people by his side before launching forward.

"Yamikumo!" Mr. Uraraka yelled. "Behind you!"

The black-clad man lunged his hand at his face. Whatever his power was, he wasn't in the mood to find out. Ducking and grabbing his arm, Izuku forced the man on the ground. The fact that he didn't fight back only unnerved him further.

"Kuroda, you and the others get the people from under the debris." the men followed his order, fighting back shock. "Mr. Uraraka! Go get help from heroes! I will hold him down!"

As the two of them were left alone, the man under his grip let out a long, dry chuckle.

"Nice work, Hero," the man smirked. "You wanted to be alone for this and got everyone else away. Good one."

Izuku twisted his arm and asked, "Who are you? Why did you attack these people?"

The pale man smiled, either not feeling or ignoring the pain, "To get your attention," he grinned. "He wanted you to know he was glad to have you back. He says he missed you."

He wasn't making any sense.

"Who sent you after me?" he hissed, tightening his grip on the guy's wrist. He could hear his bones rattle and crack. "Who are you working for?"

"Heh, guess you haven't unlocked all your backstory yet," the man let out another chuckle before his flesh grew soft and frail. "Guess you have to finish a few more missions."

Izuku backed away from the man and watched him begin falling apart into black dust. As the man stood back up, Izuku saw something shine through his crumbling body.

"That is, if you survive this level."

A metal box with single beeping light.

It was a bomb.

"Shit," he growled, going after the device. No timer. No way to tell how much he had left. It could be minutes. Or even seconds. No idea how strong the explosion would be. "Fucking shit."

The other workers were still here. No heroes in sight. Too many high-story buildings around to just throw it up high. Too little time to try and disarm it. Izuku gritted his teeth in frustration, every single option seeming just as hopeless as the last.

In the end, he simply had no other choice.

"Yamikumo! What the hell are you doing?"

His powers were unstable, save for only one. His speed could give out. His strength could fall short. His senses could go back and forth between enhanced and normal. But he still could take one hell of a beating.

Or a blast.

"Kuroda, get everyone away from here! Now!"

The man looked at him. Then at the bomb. It was clear he wanted to stay and help. But he also knew Izuku wouldn't move. The beeping noise grew more frequent and loud, the men clearing the area as fast as they could. Until it was only Izuku and the explosive in his arms.

The device screeched.

He wrapped his arms around it as tight as he could and prepared for the blast.

"Aaarghh!"

He could feel the scorching heat searing into his body and arms. The loud bang and blinding light were all that he could think of. He tried to power through it only to realize that the explosion didn't stop. The device in his arms was nothing like the bombs from the past. Instead of ending in one burst of energy, the device kept hitting with one blast after another.

Still, he had no other choice but keep his hold on the device.

The heat was burning and biting at flesh. His lungs were filled with smoke and ash. He felt like he was dying. Like his insides were being shredded apart by each and every burst and blast.

But he was alive.

And he had no plans for dying anytime soon.

 _"Just need to break it,"_ he thought, gripping the device with his bare hands even as explosions rattled his bones and scorched his flesh. _"Just... have to... concentrate!"_

He could feel the metal bend under his grip. With a roar, through pain, he used whatever strength he had left to crush the device. Just to be sure, he stomped the scraps into the ground until there was nothing but pieces and wires.

The sharp pain shot right through his body. As his powers gave out, Izuku fell on the ground, his breathing labored and body numb. Figures.

Enhanced durability helped him survive the blast. But he didn't escape unharmed. His skin and flesh could take a lot, but his organs worked the same as a person without powers. And all that shaking and rattling didn't do him any good.

The world in his eyes swam and blurred. He felt nausea and shakiness in his arms from the blast. His mind was drifting away into unconsciousness. Damn it, this was no time for taking a break. The heroes would be here any moment.

Just as he forced himself back on his feet, wobbly and disoriented, he smelled something. It was sweet and light. But definitely out of place. Izuku hurried to cover his nose and mouth, eyes wildly searching for the source of the smell.

"Found him."

The dreadful two words shook him out of the momentary stupor, urging him to run. Was that person an associate of that crazy man? The pink smoke was too thick to see through. No time to try and fight them. Only to flee.

His head felt dizzy. His thoughts became scrambled and dulled, eyelids growing heavy as he struggled to stay conscious. Was that a Quirk? Some sort of sleeping agent in the gas? Or was it the gas itself? He tried to keep his mind busy. To stay awake.

Before his consciousness faded away, he saw his assailants. A lady in a skintight suit with her shoulders ripped off. A man in black with a grey scarf and burning red eyes.

And a weird blonde skeleton standing by their side.

* * *

 **And Midoriya meets All Might. Although it is after literally taking blast to the chest and he thinks they are some group of Villains after him. Plus, they kind of drugged him... But I am sure no unfortunate misunderstanding will happen!**

 **Next: Rude Awakening**


	3. Chapter 3: Job Interview

**New day, new chapter. A bit faster than last time and, hopefully, just a bit better than before. Still learning how to properly write action scenes, so please give me your thoughts on how I handled it. I mean, a lot of people wanted a confrontation between Izuku and teachers si I want to know if it is up to your liking.**

 **Once again, I want to thank not only all who followed, favorited and reviewed the story, but also Walk The Max Planck for helping me with it. You guys are what drives me to continue writing.**

* * *

Nedzu wasn't a stranger to the ugly side of humanity. Having spent most of his early years as mere lab rat, he witnessed some of the worse aspects of people.

Greed. Apathy. Pride. Those were the only things he saw in the faces of men and women in charge of him and his fellow rats.

Back then, he believed that those were the only things humans were capable of. He lived in constant fear of humans. As he helplessly watched the other rats be experimented on and thrown away like yesterday's trash day after day, his fear became frustration. And that feeling of helplessness slowly festered into hatred.

By the time he had awakened the High Specs, that hatred was all he felt towards the humanity. Needless to say, his first act as an evolved species was seeking revenge on his captors and tormentors.

The people in charge tried to contain him. Animals who developed Quirks weren't unheard of but were certainly rare. And one to possess such a wonderful Quirk. They couldn't wait to sink their claws and fangs in him and pick him apart for the sake of their curiosity.

Unfortunately, as smart as they were, his tormentors found themselves outmatched and inadequate in the face of his highly advanced brain. They found that the only way he'd allow: the hard and painful way.

Systematically, he had torn down the entire facility and the monsters in lab coats that worked there. The facility was shut down. The staff were thrown behind bars. For the first time in years, Nedzu felt genuinely happy. The feeling of having those sadists at his mercy filled him with pride and purpose. It felt great. He knew he was right.

But it wasn't enough. Why stop at a couple of lab assistants when he could punish the entire society of apathetic and self-important people?

And so, without any shred of doubt, he continued down that path. In his eyes, all of humanity was just as rotten and cruel. Thus, all of them deserved the same fate as his handlers. Humiliation at the hands of a single rat.

It didn't take long before he drew the attention of heroes, of course. The righteous self-appointed enforcers of government who only existed to be thrown at the enemies like attack dogs.

He was proud to say he wasn't easy to catch. Heroes might have had the advantage in power and numbers, but they had underestimated him. After all, what trouble could a single rat cause, right?

Quite a lot, as many of them found out. He prepared for each and every ambush and attack. For all the flare and hype, heroes were still people. Flaws and weaknesses and all. Which is how he always got away unscathed while heroes left hurt and humiliated.

Alas, nothing could last forever. His reign of terror had to come to an end eventually.

He had a good run. Did all sorts of nasty stuff and made his name known through the country. It was good while it lasted. He was ready to face the music and his demise at the hands of the hero who bested him. And yet she refused to kill him. Even after everything he had done, someone was willing to see good in him.

He thought it absurd and laughed in the hero's face.

 _"You know you are being stupid, right?"_ he sneered at the extended hand. _"You think just this is going to change my view of you humans? You all are the same! So quit playing the compassionate hero and just end me! Go ahead, hero! You are not fooling me with your pity!"_

She still refused to take his life. He was taken in and tried as a human villain. His cell was designed specifically for someone of his size and intelligence. He thought it ironic, having spent all the time to prove better than an animal and a man only to end up caged once again. He thought it would be the end. That he would face the death in a small cold cage like another mouse.

She wouldn't have it though.

As if she had nothing better to do, the heroine visited him every single day. Not to gain something from him. Not to strike a bargain. Not for anything that could benefit her. That was confusing. After all, weren't all people just as greedy and selfish as his tormentors? Weren't all heroes just glorified celebrities who did good only for money and fame? Why would that woman spend her time with a caged rat who would never be of any use to her?

 _"Because I know you can do better, Nedzu."_ she smiled. _"Because, deep down, you want to do better."_

He scoffed and screamed at her. Do better?

He did his best. His best work was in punishing humans for what they had done. And he felt proud of his work. He wasn't sure why he was yelling so loud at that time. Now he knew that the only one he tried to convince of it was himself. It was only years later that he realized that only wanted to push that woman away.

She didn't let that happen. It was during her visits that Nedzu saw the other side of humanity. Compassion. Kindness. Selflessness. Empathy. Was she a special one? The only good human out there in the world of monsters and predators? He asked her if her kindness was supposed to teach him people were good. Her answer, delivered after a long laugh, surprised him.

 _"We are a mess, Nedzu. We lie. We cheat. We hurt each other. Dog eats a dog? Survival of the fittest? All of those were said by us. And many of us say it as if it is some great wisdom. Sometimes, it feels as if the world is broken and you are just a fool for trying to be better."_ Her voice was void of any condescension or anger. Even if her words were harsh, she didn't sound like it. She was like a teacher, seeking to impart some lesson to a lost student. _"That's why we need hope. That's why we need dreams. They guide us through the darkest times. And, who knows, maybe, one day, those dreams will be a reality."_

Humans weren't good, she later said. But neither were they evil. In the end, all people were complicated. Too complicated to slap a label on everyone and segregate the entire society into bad and good.

But what if they had someone to guide them? To serve as a beacon through despair and anger?

 _"That's why we need heroes."_ Nana pointed at the symbol on her chest. _"To remind us that we can be better."_

Eventually, he got an early release. A single rat with no purpose and words of the heroine refusing to leave him alone. He wasn't sure how or why he was at the entrance of Yuuei a few weeks later. Or why he accepted the position of a teacher.

And yet, it felt right.

If someone like him - who used to have nothing but disdain for humanity - could change, then maybe hope wasn't lost on all of them. All that it took to change someone's life sometimes was just a benefit of doubt and a little push in the right direction.

Everyone had some good in them.

Even if some made it all that much harder to see.

 **T**

 _"You have to smile more, Mr. Midoriya!"_

Because heroes smiled no matter what. Even if they were hated and feared. Even if they felt like crap. Even if the world was falling apart.

No matter what, heroes like him - the Capes and Flying Bricks - needed to smile all the time. Not to inspire hope, but to build up the positive reputation among the public. It was an image the state-hired PR team carefully crafted for him specifically. A young and idealistic kid who smiled no matter what danger he had to face. The kind of hero who always prevailed, not because of good strategy or skills, but because he never gave up.

It was a simple image. It didn't bother with deeper aspects of who heroes were or how they felt. It was a generic copy of a human being, stripped of any complexity and issues that made real people different from fictional characters.

Still, he played along.

It was a necessity, he understood that. The public was still largely anti-deviant, and any official giving the superhumans even a semblance of power was as good as them resigning from the office. Which is why heroes had to be as close to perfection as they could. They had to do their job as fast as they could, and as clean as the public wanted it done.

Each and every mistake they made, all of it would reflect on the entire deviant community. And even the slightest of offences - the smallest sign of hostility or negativity - would be examined, picked apart and used to throw the innocent deviants into cages and tried as criminals. In their case, imperfection wasn't an option but a potential cause for more violence and unrest.

And it worked.

It was small and slow steps, but they were making difference. People accepted them, even if they never bothered to learn about the real people behind masks and capes. It was a necessary sacrifice, Izuku used to tell his fellow heroes. He knew he was right, as sad as it was.

The fewer people feared superhumans, the more rights and freedom deviants like him had. And though the masquerade made him feel like a sellout, he reminded himself of the bigger picture. If building a better society for all cost him his integrity, then he was willing to foot the bill.

It wasn't about the personal dignity. It was about keeping people from tearing each other apart.

But that was then and there. When powers were new and feared. When heroes were vilified and hated. This age was different. Confusing and loud, complicated and unknown, but not without its own advantages.

As much as hated his current situation, freedom from all the charade was liberating. He didn't need to smile when insulted or verbally attacked. No more joking off assault and harassment as a mild prank. And, more importantly, no sitting on his hands when being falsely imprisoned.

He could show his anger and distress.

And right now that was exactly how he felt.

"Snipe, take him down!"

Bullets whistled though the air and fly past him. For a marksman, it was too far off the mark to be an actual shot instead of a distraction. He raised the steel door had torn off earlier to block the rounds that took a U-turn from behind him. Some kind of telekinesis, it seemed, possibly limited only to his own bullets. He tested the theory by hurling the makeshift shield at the sniper. It slammed into him, knocking him out. That confirmed it.

"You leave us no choice, Mr. Midoriya," the weird creature of grey stone glared as he slammed his palms into the floor. He could feel the floor shake and shift, turning soft and liquid. "Know that this is for your own good!"

 _'I will be a judge to that,'_ He lunged forward, just as the stone swallowed the place where he stood. Was it a move to incapacitate him? Or crush him in stone? He had no time to ask for clarification, drawing his fist back and smashing the fist into the man's massive face. It felt like actual stone and the man stood like a wall. Not that Izuku didn't expect that.

He moved fast and struck hard. The man's power was quite versatile. An ability to manipulate stone and its states by his will. A powerful ability, especially in city jungle of today, but it was suited more for long-range combat in wide area rather than combat in narrow space of a corridor.

With a series of kicks and punches, hopping and jumping around the man, Izuku was slowly wearing the man out. His skin might have been as hard as stone, but his fists were as strong as steel. But he had no time to stick around any further. He had taken down two of them – a sniper and gas lady – but there was no doubt more would arrive soon.

The power surged through his veins into his fist ready to send him flying. His fist drawn back and pulsing with energy, Izuku smashed the man into the ground.

And shattered his bones in the process. But how? His powers were working properly, even if it wouldn't last for long. There was no way his hand could break just like that, unless-

 ** _"YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAH!"_** His cry of pain was promptly drowned by much louder scream. The intense soundwave knocked him off the ground and sent him rolling down the floor.

As he recovered from the sudden assault, he managed to get a look at his assailants. A lean blonde with weird mustache was the one who attacked him. The device around his neck was either an amplifier or the source of his power. "Jeez, that's some mess you made here, Midoriya! How about you calm down for a second and we talk this out?"

But it wasn't the screamer that Izuku was concerned with. But rather, it was his partner. Tall, with dark hair and eyes that burned from behind the goggles on his face. Izuku recognized him instantly.

The same man he had seen together with the sleep-inducing lady and the weird blonde skeleton before he was abducted.

"Stand down, Midoriya. You are in no danger." His bleeding ears and broken wrist said otherwise. The man's gruff voice and sharp eyes didn't do anything to earn his trust either. "Surrender before you make things worse."

"Sorry," he scoffed. "I am always a bit difficult after getting drugged and kidnapped by a bunch of strangers."

He still couldn't feel his power. The rest of heroes here were unconscious. The blonde was only a screamer. So the brunette man probably had some nullifying power. And, unlike him, both were well-rested and uninjured. That was not good.

Not good at all.

"Look here, Mr. Midoriya!" the blonde spoke up. "I know this looks bad, but we are the good guys!"

Drugged. Kidnapped. Shot. So far, those were the only things they had done to him or tried to do, at least.

"My friend Aizawa is just really awkward and shy. Kidnapping people and locking them up is just his way of making friends!"

The man didn't stop looking at him. Not even for a second. He never blinked or averted his gaze either. Did he need to keep eye contact for the power to work?

He needed to see. But the blonde would hit him with another soundwave if he made it too obvious. Without his powers, he wasn't sure he could even take another attack without losing it.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because we are telling the truth," Aizawa said with a shrug. "We wouldn't heal you if we were after your head, right?"

"You would if you needed me healthy though," he countered. Crazy scientists. Human Supremacists. Religious zealots. He had seen them all. And each one tried to rip him open to see what made him tick. "Not the first time I was kidnapped, so find a better reason."

He was running out of time. The woman - Midnight - was incapacitated but she could wake up any moment. Unlike these guys, her Quirk was much harder to predict or anticipate. He needed to get out of here now. "You wouldn't believe me if I said we are heroes and want to help, would you?" Aizawa's tone showed he didn't expect any cooperation. The man was sharp. "I doubt anything is going to make you trust us."

He was right. Trust wasn't something you could throw around in an unknown territory. Especially, in unknown era.

"You are stalling, right?" the man asked with a hint of amusement. He moved his foot, feeling the floor for anything to use as a distraction. "Waiting for my Quirk to reach its limit before attacking?"

"That's right. But time limit is a tricky thing," he admitted, not seeing a reason to lie with his ruse uncovered. Playing dumb seemed like a waste of effort. "So I think I will settle for this!"

A small pebble flew towards Aizawa's head. It mattered little what the man did after that. He could dodge or let it him, but not without breaking the nullifying gaze for, at least, a second or two. His powers returned almost instantly, coursing through his body like blood.

Taking a deep breath in, Izuku blew the stream of air, kicking up the dirt and dust. Neither he nor his opponents could see each other, but he still had an advantage of superior hearing and higher speed.

His partner would attack him in seconds so he needed to go down first. Through the dust veil, he saw the shape of the blonde's ridiculous hair and went after him. Like a bullet, he cut the distance and smashed his fist into the guy's chest, knocking whatever breath he had gathered.

"Not so fast!"

Aizawa's fist connected with his face. Despite his tough skin, Izuku actually felt it. Something coiled around his arm before he could throw a punch, followed by the man delivering a vicious kick to his face. Both of them knew that Izuku was stronger, in terms of both raw physical power and endurance.

And Aizawa knew it.

His hand still broken and body not fully recovered from sonic attack, Izuku was much slower to react. Which is why Aizawa did the same thing Izuku had done to the stone man before. He stayed close but moved fast around him, always going for the head and other weak spots.

As the dust settled, he saw the weird bandages around his neck loosen and coil around him. In a few moments, he would be bound and gagged unless he did something drastic or stupid. Or, in this case, a mixture of both.

Rolling out of the bandages' way, Izuku grabbed the half-conscious screamer, hands firmly pressed on the device around his neck. Aizawa stopped. The blonde gulped. Izuku grinned, having finally found his way out of this mess.

"So you are taking a hostage now?"

"I don't think the guy would make a good one," Izuku chuckled, ignoring the blonde's protesting mumbling. "But this device on his neck? This one, I think I can use."

The metal collar shattered under his hands.

"You idiot," Aizawa's eyes widened in panic. "What the hell d-"

Izuku didn't let him finish, instead kneeing the blonde in the back. Despite struggling to keep his mouth shut, Mic grunted in pain. And that single grunt sent a devastating wave of sound at his friend, embedding the nullifier in the wall.

So that collar was a limiter, after all. He would save that knowledge for later.

"Damn it..." Izuku grunted. "You guys are tough... Let's not see each other any time soon."

Before the blonde could do anything, Izuku shoved his face into the wall, knocking him out cold. A bit more rough than he would have wanted, but that had to do.

The holding facilities like this never had an open access door so it probably needed a key of some sort. With that in rummaged through the man's jacket until he found a plastic keycard, the man's grinning face on it. There was not telling how soon more reinforcement would arrive. So he ran towards the miraculously undamaged door, swiped the keycard and-

"Hello."

\- met a girl with pink hair and a pair of goggles. In her hand, she held a small device of unknown purpose. After the bomb, however, he would rather not find out what it was for.

"You have to be kidding me." He groaned, knocking the weapon aside. He grabbed her wrist and looked her dead in the eye. "Look, kid, I am not ion the mood. So if you just get out of the w- Wait, what is that sound?"

A weird beeping sound came from the discarded device. Judging by the girl's grin, it was some sort of trap. He tried to remove his hand but found it stuck to the weird bracelet on the girl's wrist.

"Sorry, sir," she said, not sounding sincere at all. Rather, she sounded outright maniacal as the goggles transformed into a mask. "But thank you for testing out my new baby!"

He saw the purple gas stream from the device, the familiar scent driving him into panic. He moved to take the girl's mask but the effects of the gas already kicked in. His hand stopped and dropped, a good couple of inches away from the pinkette's head. His body followed shortly after. As his consciousness slowly slipped away, he heard the girl sigh in disappointment.

"I really wanted to test out my new taser gun though... Well, there is always next time!"

If there was a God in this world, he was definitely not on his side.

 **T**

"Are you sure about that, Nedzu?" Chiyo asked, walking by his side. "Faith in him aside, that man only recently took down some of our colleagues? He might still be dangerous to properly talk with."

"I don't think keeping him in the dark will make it any better either," he said. "If anything, properly filling him in might make him less hostile and more open to a dialogue."

Chiyo said something beneath her breath. Something about Midoriya still being untrustworthy and a wild card. Those were all true. The man was unpredictable and quite dangerous. However, he wasn't a bad person.

Would a bad man hide while the world cheered him on? Why would a selfish and opportunistic man, as some people had accused him of, run away from companies tripping over each other to offer him sponsorship and endorsement deals? He could have taken any of those and, without any actual effort, live a luxurious and carefree life.

And, what's more important, even when hiding away from the entire country, he still helped. A couple of girls saved from a mugging in a dark alley. A hijacking of Soumei High school bus averted. Fifteen people rescued from the burning building in one of the city's less developed areas.

All of those cases and more, ranging from a store robbery to attempted murder, all led to Izuku Midoriya. He was smart about it, concealing his identity with a makeshift mask and hood. He acted fast, making sure to always leave before anyone could identify him. And it worked, with media not paying much attention to the actions of a mysterious vigilante.

But Nedzu knew it was Midoriya. And he followed the trail to Musutafu's local construction company, where he found the man working under a false name. Over the course of several days, he observed the ancient hero, analyzing how he interacted with the others. Judging every action and preparing to meet with him.

It seemed like a cruel joke that the same day Nedzu was going to properly introduce himself Midoriya. And yet, it wasn't a total disaster. Whether he understood it or not, but Shigaraki proved to Nedzu that Midoriya deserved their trust. The man who compromised his own secrecy and was willing to sacrifice his life for complete strangers was definitely a hero.

He could have done without Midoriya rampaging through their facility though.

Only eight hours after his arrest, he successfully broke out of his cell, took out Midnight and tore his way through several of his colleagues, accomplished and respected heroes in their own right. Even if said colleagues had to hold back under his orders, that still was quite an impressive feat. Though, Nedzu heard, Yamada had some less pleasant ways to describe the attempted escape.

As did almost everyone, save for Aizawa and Khan. He would need to have a more in-depth discussion with some of them later on. For now, however, he needed to make sure they avoided another corridor fight.

"You have made quite a mess. A very impressive display of power, combat skills and creativity," he genuinely praised the green hero. The latter stayed silent, expression still hard to read. "Though hardly a necessary one. Mr. Midoriya, if you wanted to get some fresh air, all you needed was just ask."

The ancient hero still remained silent, his hand on the glass wall as his eyes scanned every inch of it. He was probably searching for some way to take it down. Seeing that the cell was made to contain All Might himself, it would be a difficult feat to accomplish.

 _"Difficult but, by no means, impossible,"_ Nedzu reminded himself.

Considering who they were talking about and how little they knew about his Quirk, the principal had all the more reason to reach an understanding with Midoriya as soon as possible. Preferably, before they needed to call in other heroes as backup. "I assure you, Mr. Midoriya, there is no reason to resort to violence. You have nothing to fear from me or any member of my staff. We are here to help."

Midoriya stared at him, with non-concealed bewilderment. The first change in expression since Nedzu had entered.

"You kidnapped me," his tone was blunt and dry. He sounded more annoyed than angry. "Right after some weirdo tried to blow up half the block, that woman drugged me," he pointed at Midnight. "And then I woke up, strapped to my bed with the same woman and a guy with a bunch of guns watching over me. Not exactly the way to make someone feel welcome. Or safe."

In hindsight, using Midnight's Quirk wasn't exactly the best tool in earning the young man's trust. Getting attacked by Shigaraki pushed him further onto the edge. And being kidnapped in such vulnerable state of mind was only expected to worsen it.

However, they had little choice in that. Shigaraki's attack only proved his worries and it was unlikely Midoriya would agree to talk to them after that attack.

"I don't even know who you guys are!" Midoriya said, slamming fist against the wall. Aizawa insisted on putting a power-nullifying collar on him this time. "How am I supposed to trust any of you?"

"Pardon me then. Allow me to introduce myself," he walked up to the wall. He gestured for Power Loader to remove the wall. Though reluctant and cautious, the technician did as asked and now he was standing face to face with the first generation hero. "My name is Nedzu. I am the principal of Yuuei University, Japan's current top school for the future heroes. Our main purpose is to ensure that every single graduate of ours becomes a person worthy of the title of a hero."

The glass walls around them lightened up, displaying the feed from several news channels. All verified and showing him and other members of the faculty. During their interviews with the press or the famous Yuuei Sports Festival.

"And I think you would fit in greatly with our faculty."

 **T**

Izuku took a moment to look at all the gathered teachers. Most of them still had marks from his failed escape. Judging from their faces, they knew about the offer the principal had in mind.

They knew about it but definitely weren't as enthusiastic as the miniature headmaster.

The headmaster himself kept smiling. If Izuku wanted to escape, now was the perfect time and opportunity. Even without his powers, he could definitely take the miniature principal hostage and use him to get out.

But if these people were who they said they were, he couldn't refuse their help. The fact that their employer stood utterly defenseless and unarmed next to him and none of them looked ready to attack showed a certain degree of trust.

"Didn't I just rampage through your school?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Or is it how you interview your employees? Kidnap them and watch how much damage they can do?"

Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if such was true. It wouldn't be any crazier than whatever his situation was.

"If it was so, you would get a job right away," the principal joked. "But we need you for more than your combat skills. I believe that someone from the Golden Age of Heroes can provide our students with a new perspective and knowledge one could gain only from your experiences. Of course, you wouldn't go unrewarded."

The man - or animal - proceeded to list all the benefits of throwing his lot in with them. And, he had to admit, it did sound quite tempting. A training facility for someone with his power. His own apartment. Stable and nice salary. However, despite the honeyed words, Izuku didn't let his guard down, listening carefully to not miss any crucial information.

"We can provide you with all the necessities," the principal continued. "While we cannot promise you that we will find your way home, we can make sure your stay here is comfortable enough. As well as give you an opportunity to catch up on all that you have missed during your absence. All done so that we could-"

Izuku interrupted him, voice calm. He didn't feel angry or upset. He just wanted to straighten facts out.

"You want to keep me under surveillance." The room went silent, eyes widening into full they seriously think he was that dumb? "Please, you can't honestly expect me to believe you trust me to be free?"

Health insurance went together with regular check-ups. His own place was on campus, somewhere where teachers could keep an eye on him. He wouldn't be surprised if his apartment went with a few hidden cameras and other surveillance devices.

Still, he understood it. None of those angered him. He was only annoyed that they didn't even try to be straight with him on that.

"I mean," he gestured at himself. "I am the guy from two centuries back. Unchecked. Potentially unstable. I am a liability to you all."

Especially since so many people admired him and his generation. It wasn't anything new. People hated the idea of their history being wrong. A traitor in the past had to be a traitor today. And, similarly, a knight in shining armor had to be as clean and flawless as the public remembered him. Disrupting that image wouldn't send society into chaos. But it would certainly cause some tensions.

Tensions that could be used to stock the fire of conflict if used properly.

"Not to mention the nature of my arrival," Izuku continued. "I mean, if someone got their hands on me and prodded just enough, they could possibly find the way to repeat the process, right? And time travel isn't something just anyone can toy with."

Travelling through time was an opportunity all too tempting to not give it a try.

Become rich. Become famous. Correct a mistake. Save your loved ones. Prevent a tragedy. Kill a dictator. There were many ways a person could use something like that, both good and bad. But, regardless of the reason for it, it still remained too unpredictable and dangerous.

Too risky to simply let him go unsupervised.

"I can see where you are coming from though," Izuku said, gaining a few surprised looks in return. "I didn't say any of it because I want to threaten or intimidate you. I just think that, if we are going to work together, might as well clear a few things up."

He didn't mind them distrusting him. In fact, he understood completely why someone like him would need to be under their watch. He just wanted them to be open about it rather than hide behind fake smiles and pretty words.

He had enough of that back in his time.

He could always fight his way out. But then where would he go? Could he just spend the rest of his days in this age, hiding and fighting I guess the shadows? It didn't sound too bad. But it hardly sounded like what he could do either.

"So you agree to our terms?" Nedzu asked, a bit more cautiously. "You will work here with us, mostly assisting other teachers with their classes and combat training of our students. All the while being checked on by Ms. Shuzenji and accompanied by one of our faculty when leaving the facility. Is that really alright with you?"

This time, Nedzu didn't try to sugarcoat anything. "Yes," he nodded in response, a small if reluctant smile on his face. "That would be alright."

"Very well," Nedzu pressed a button on the remote. "Before we continue any further though, there is one more thing we need to discuss with you. "

"What is it?"

The principal's smile promised nothing good.

"We need you to become a hero."

 **T**

What made a hero?

Was it a strong and brave heart? Was it an amazing superpower? It was a question that used to be constantly discussed among the public during Izuku's days. It was simply in human's nature to try and rationalize everything around them. To pick any subject and object apart and create a system around it. Last time he heard, no one had yet come up with an answer to that question.

In the world of the future, to be a hero, you needed a license. The fact that the line between a hunted vigilante and a praised hero was a simple plastic card rubbed him the wrong way. From what Aizawa had told him earlier, simply using your Quirk in public was already breaking the law. The stance on the issue and response to it, of course, varied depending on the Quirk itself and nature of its usage.

A girl who changed her hair color would probably go ignored. A man who lit his cigarette with pyrokinesis would be issued a light warning. And, finally, a person who committed a crime using a Quirk, no matter how small it was, graduated from a criminal into a villain and was to be stopped by a hero.

At the same time, there was also the fourth group, the vigilantes.

Those who did hero's work without license. Not unlike how Izuku and his allies used to operate in the early years. Despite this, the public treated vigilantes as if they were just as bad as villains. If not worse.

"It isn't that simple, Midoriya," Aizawa said, wrapped up in a cocoon-like sleeping bag. Despite their encounter days prior, the man seemed to hold no hostile feelings towards him. "The laws exist for a reason, after all. Nobody just woke up one day and decided to make the system the way it is. The laws regarding the usage of Quirks were no different."

There had to be a precedent. Something that was big enough to demand the laws made to prevent incidents from happening.

"There were a lot of people who used to play heroes. No training. Un understanding of their own Quirk. Just foolish bravado and lethal stupidity," the words were harsh yet bore no anger. Not towards the people, at least. "Letting civilians with no training engage in the work of heroes is no different from letting a random person perform tracheotomy surgery."

"I know," he grunted, placing the heavy book back down. The Code of Hero Legislation was filled with exceptions, special cases and other if's and but's. "But what about those who have training? There must be a lot of people who practiced with their powers, right? What if they want to help but can't? Should we really punish people who want to help others? And why, because they don't have some plastic card on them?"

"We shouldn't," the man agreed. "But the world has changed in the last two centuries. It isn't about a handful group of people with powers anymore. Today, around eighty percent of the population have Quirks. Powers that, left unchecked could tear the society apart. Hero laws aren't here to prevent people from or punish them for helping. They are in place to make sure we don't end up going back to the dark age where might makes right."

The teacher looked him dead in the eye, his gaze tired yet sharp.

"The reason why the laws are hard on vigilantes isn't because of what they do but what kind of message they are sending."

What kind of message…

"That you can do anything," Izuku muttered, catching on. "as long as you are doing it for the right cause."

Or rather, as long as you _think_ you are doing it for the right cause.

It was a lot like the message his teammates were trying to spread through the society. Back then, when it was much easier to lash out in anger, they did their best to remind people that their powers could be used for good. Doing everything that you could to help as long as you were doing it for the greater good.

But then again, what was this greater good?

Was killing your friend's murderer a greater good? Would kidnapping and torturing a corrupt politician into confessing be considered one? Those were the extreme yet possible reasons for becoming a vigilante. People seeking revenge on perpetrators instead of justice for their victims.

"Heroes make mistakes too, don't think we don't. But the laws make sure that we are held accountable for it. We are responsible for any collateral damage that happened because of our mistakes. The same applies to cases involving a hero killing someone." Aizawa caught his surprised expression. His expression didn't change yet there was a grim sense to it now. "Each instance is examined by the special committee. They analyze the situation, taking into account the threat presented, degree of control over the situation and other variables."

"Then what makes a hero different from a vigilante?" Izuku countered. "Heroes are allowed to keep their identities secret from the public, sans the certain authorities. Heroes are allowed to kill. Heroes can take sponsorship deals. Don't take it the wrong way, Aizawa, but it sounds like the only difference between heroes and vigilantes is having a permission slip from the government officials."

And wasn't that ironic of him to say? He could remember having the same conversation with some of his former allies back then. Only at that time, he was in Aizawa's place, reasoning why working with the government was a good thing. He still believed cooperation with authorities was a better alternative to running uncontrolled and chased by the police.

But the way the modern world took that idea, it felt wrong.

"There is one more difference," Aizawa said, completely unaffected by the challenge in Izuku's tone. "As I said before, heroes are liable for their failures. That means that heroes face their failures and make up for them. Vigilantes run away from responsibility and their mistakes, leaving others to deal with them."

He moved to protest. But there was no way to counter that argument. Not when he used to run at the first sign of the sirens. The circumstances were different, true, but he and the others still left after the fight or disaster and faced responsibilities for their mistakes only years later. Only after they had gone public.

"So this test," Izuku picked up a nearby pamphlet. On it, there was a picture of a nice and clean center, smiling and brave heroes pictured in the background. "I take it, mine isn't going to be the same as the others', right?"

"Correct," Aizawa nodded. "These were given to you to make sure you had the general idea of what the current society demands from its heroes. Your exam, however, will be conducted differently, considering your unique position."

"Any chance you will tell me?"

"No."

Well, it was worth a try. He doubted it would be any worse than what they put normal applicants through. Maybe they would ajust difficulty according to his own powers and experience. Though the exam didn;t worry him as much as it should have, there was another matter. One that concerned him a great deal. "What about the media?"

For the last few weeks, he had been the main talk of the news. How did he end up here? What was he like in real life? What was he going to do during his stay? If there was one thing that hardly changed, it was how relentless certain reporters could be in the pursuit of the fresh news.

"Don't worry," Aizawa shrugged. "We made sure nobody will know about your exam until you have passed it."

"Thanks."

The last thing he needed was any more of unnecessary attention.

 **T**

Mitsumi wasn't what you'd call a people person. She was very career-oriented and barely interacted with her colleagues unless she needed something. Not that anyone cared for it. Her Quirk, Phantom, was the ability to be unnoticed to the people unless they focused their attention on her. It was quite the issue-maker during her childhood but an undeniably useful tool for a reporter like her.

She could sneak past anyone and get to the juiciest of news before the others in record time. She wasn;t a very outspoken person out of camera, but she made up for it with her determination and viciousness for getting what she wanted. A good reporter went out and hunted their news down like a prey. The news were like meat, most delicious when caught on your own.

Sometimes, however, they simply fell into your lap, begging to be delivered to the masses.

Yuuei has always been a major figure of interest. But for the past few weeks, the entire country had its eyes on the famous university. Not only did All Might choose it as the place to work in after his retirement but his supposed successor, Lemillion from Big Three, was set to graduate from the same place this year. And now?

It appeared that Izuku Midoriya - the mystery man and focus of many news channels - was about to take the teaching position there as well. And she would be the first one to report it. She already had quite a few accomplishments under her belt. But if she were to get the interview out of the time-displaced hero? It would definitely give her reputation a much needed boost.

Still, one question remained.

Who was her mysterious benefactor?

She wasn't new to the inside sources. Over the course of her career, she had worked with many different people who wished to share their stories with her and the world. She even managed to create a small but trustworthy network of contacts, always ready to help her with investigation. This one, however, was not someone she had seen or heard of before.

"Ms Yanagi?" the secretary called out for her. "Mr Setsuzo is ready for you."

She would look into that contact later. She would find who helped her and why. It would be good to have someone inside Yuuei, especially since they were so secretive. But not today.

She had a story to write.

And she would make sure it was on everyone's lips by tomorrow's morning.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! So Izuku aced his job interview in the best way possible: Beating up the other workers to prove who is the top dog! Jokes aside, I believe that all major hero schools have some sort of holding facility. You know, with villains attacking and needing to be imprisoned until actual police arrives.**

 **And yeah, vigilantism. One of the central themes of the story will, of course, be the clash between values. I like to think that MHA world represents the society of superheroes we rarely see in fiction, that is, a functioning one. Like, in western media, works with superheroes always have heroes unbound by laws. And, when they are, it always turns Garth Ennis level of cynical.**

 **What I liked about MHA was how nothing here is pure black and white. Like, Endeavor is a major asshole and domestic abuser. But he is a damn good hero and still tries to change after some time. And then you have Stain, whose ideals of Pure Hero are taken to extreme. And even Ochako who wants to provide for her family, so she pursues hero work for money.**

 **This is the same thing I am aiming for with this story.**


End file.
